Plate clamping mechanism for printing cylinders



Dec. 16, 1952 H W- PAE-BER 2,621,590

PLATE CLAMFING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING CYLINDERS Filed Sept. 2, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 luf."

\\ l et /l INVENTOR. HARRY W. FAEBER W'MV@ Dec. 16, 1952 ||I W, FAEBER 2,621,590

PLATE CLAMPING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING CYLINDERS Filed sept. 2, 194e 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Flan.

72 70 66 76 77 V JNVENTOR.

HARRY w. FAEBER Patented Dec. 16, 1952 PLATE CLAMPING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING CYLINDERS Harry W. Faeber, Larchmont, N. Y., assigner to Time, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 2, 1948, Serial No. 47,378

6 Claims. (Cl. lOl-378) This invention relates to improvements in printing cylinders, and it relates particuluarly to an improved form of mechanism for clamping and locking stereotype plates and the like to printing cylinders for rotary presses.

Generally, two diierent types of plate clamping or cylinder lock-up mechanisms have been provided heretofore. In one form of clamping mechanism, the edges of each plate are bevelled and are engaged by one or more undercut clips on the cylinder. The clips engaging two adjacent edges of the plates are fixed. The clips engaging the other edges are adjustable so that the plate can be inserted between the clips and clamped by moving the adjustable clips toward the fixed clips. Inasmuch as the clips project beyond the surface of the cylinder and are located at the edges of the plate, they occupy a considerable amount of space, where printing cannot take place. This type of construction wastes a great deal of paper in the printing operation for the reason that the paper is handled in the form of a continuous sheet or web, and those portions of the web which lie between spaced apart edges of the several plates on a cylinder do not have irnpressions made on them. Moreover, the use of fixed clips has the disadvantage of preventing adjustment of the plates either around or across the cylinder. In addition, inasmuch as the plate is subjected to edgewise compression stresses by the clamping action of the clips, the plates tend to buckle, causing so-called breathing which eventually causes the plates to break.

In view of the deficiencies of the clamping or lock-up mechanisms described above, it has been suggested that the clamping or locking mechanism should be arranged to engage the back of the plate and thereby permit the opposed ends of the plate or plates to be brought closer together. Such clamping means usually consists of one or more hook members which project beyond the surface of the cylinder and engage in notches or recesses in the back of the plate near one of its ends. The opposite end of the plate is also provided with a notch or notches which receive hooks that may be rocked relatively to the surface of the cylinder to pull the plate against the surface of the cylinder. This form of clamping mechanism does away, to a large extent, with paper waste and breathing but it has other deciencies which are also common to the external type of plate clamp. inasmuch as one end of the plate is anchored with respect to the cylinder, it is not possible to adjust the plate around the surface of the cylinder to register the plate thereon with impressions made by'other plates, for example, in multicolor printing operations. Moreover, these prior types of devices do not permit a plurality of smaller printing plates to be assembled and adjusted on the cylinder.

The present invention has as an object the provision of a clamping mechanism or lock-up mechanism for securing stereotype platesv and the like to printing cylinders in such a way as to overcome the disadvantages of the prior devices noted above.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clamping or lock-up mechanism for securing stereotype plates and the like to printing cylinders and which permits adjustment of the plate or plates relative to the cylinder to register the plates in the several cylinders of a printing press.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clamping or lock-up mechanism for securing printing plates to cylinders by means of which a plurality of plates may be secured to the surface of the cylinder with capacity for adjustment relative to the cylinder to attain the great-- est economy in the use of the paper and to assure registry of the impressions made vby corresponding plates on different cylinders.

The above and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from the following description of a typical form of device embodying the present invention.

In accordance with the present invention, printing cylinders are provided with at least one set of clamping elements which are engageable with recesses at opposite ends of and in the backs of the plates todraw the plates up tightly against the'surface of the cylinder, these clamp-1 ing elements being adjustable to move the plates; relative to the surface of the cylinder to assure.A

be assembled on the surface of the cylinder and moved with respect to the cylinder and to each other to secure the most economical use of the paper and to assure proper registration Vof the` plates.

For a better' understanding of the present in-v- The vention, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a view in side elevation cf one-half of a typical form of printing cylinder embodying the present invention, portions of the cylinder and a printing plate attached thereto being broken away and shown in section to disclose details of the mechanism;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the cylinder shown in Fig. l with portions of the adjusting mechanism shown in section and part of the cylinder also shown in section to disclose details of the clamping mechanism; Y

Fig. 3 is a view in section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a View in side elevation of one form of plate clamp or hook utilized in the lock-up cylinder mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a plan View of the hook mechanism;

Fig. 6 is an end View of the hook mechanism;

Fig. 7 is an end view of a modified form of hook mechanism;

Fig` 8 is a view in section taken on line S- of `Figj;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of still another form of hook mechanism;

Fig. 1,0 is a perspective View of a shim device for use with the hook mechanism shown in Fig. 9;

Fig. l1 is a. diagrammatic showing of the method of milling the notches or recesses in the back of the printing plate;

Fig. 12 is a rear view of a portion of the plate showing the notches milled therein;

Fig. 13 is a view in section taken radially through a portion cfa modified form of printing cylinder disclosing individual controls for the hook members; and

Fig. 14 is a view of a developed surface of a typical plate cylinder illustrating an individual control for each plate hook.

The form of the invention disclosed in Figs. land 2 of the drawings includes a cylinder Il! formed of steel or any other suitable material having at each enda shaft II for supporting the cylinder in bearings or journals. The cylinder may be of any desired length and diameter.

Each end of the cylinder is provided with a reduced shoulder portion I2 upon which is seated an annular ring I3, the so-called bearer.

The cylinder is also vprovided with a plurality of circumferential grooves I4 which are provided with internal shoulders l5 dening the edges of narrower grooves i6 in the cylinder. Thus, the groove I5, the shoulders I4 and the `narrower groove I6, form a generally T-shaped annular groove in the surface of the cylinder. As many of these T-shaped grooves as may be desired are provided along the length of the cylinder. In the form of the cylinder shown, six such grooves are provided in spaced apart relationship along the length of the cylinder.

The combined depth of the grooves I5 and I is such that they intersect a plurality of cylindrical bores which extend lengthwise of the cylinder parallel with its axis. In the form of the invention shown, eight bores Il are disposed around the cylinder with two of the bores being in each quadrant of the cylinder and adjacent the outer ends of the quadrants. The bores Il are .adapted to receive longitudinally extending shafts 25, 23, etc., these shafts extending onehalf of the length of the cylinder, and being journalled near their opposite ends in bearings in the ring I3 and the bore, as best shown vin Fig. 1. Similar shafts extend inwardly from the .member 32 is arcuate longitudinally and has its outer surface curved to conform to the curvature of the surface of the cylinder.

Referring now to Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the hook or slide member y3 2 may consist of a piece of metal such as steel having a generally I-shaped crosssection with a wide base flange 33 extending along its length and fitting a groove I6 in the surface of the cylinder. Connected to the base flanger33 is a narrow rib 34 which supports a camlike hook element 35 forming a narrow crossbar at the top of the rib 34. The hook element 35 has a curved upper surface, an inclined and undercut leading end 35a, and is of about the same length as the Width of the base ange 33. Each of the slide elements 32 is retained in a T-shaped groove I4, I 5, I6 by means of a, pair of arcuate bar elements 36 and 31 which are disposed on opposite sides of the rib portion 34 with their outer edges resting on the shoulders I5 at opposite edges of the groove I6. The inner edges of the bars 36 and 31 extend between the hook portion 35 and the base flange 33 so that when the bars 3S and 31 are secured by Vmeans of machine screws 38 to the shoulders I5 and I6, each slide member 32 is secured against radial movement but can'be moved circumferentially of the cylinder. As indicated in the drawings, each shaft 25, 25, etc. has a slide member geared to it at each of the gear elements 28, 29 and 3l thereon. The slides 32 actuated by the shaft 25 are arranged so that the inclined faces 35a of the hook elements face in the opposite direction from vthe faces 35a on the slides actuated by the shaft 26.

Circumferential movement of each hook member 32 around the'cylinder I0 is produced by rotation of the shafts 25, 26, etc., to which it is connected by means of a gear element such as gear 28 and the rack teeth SI. Rotary movement of the shafts 25, 2E, etc. may be produced by means of a worm gear 40 keyed to the end of the shaft, for example, the shaft 26, as shown in Fig. 2, which is rotated by means of a Worm 4I formed ona stud shaft 42. The shaft 42 is rotatably mounted in a bearing block 43 'which is secured by means of bolts or machine screws to the end ring I3. The bearing 44 for the inner end of the shaft 42 may be mounted in a split section of the bearing block 43, as shown in Fig. 3, so that this split section may be clamped around the bearing 44 to retain it in position. The shaft 42 may be provided with a head having a polygonal socket 45 therein for receiving an adjusting wrench 46. Upon rotation of the shaft 42, the shaft 26 is turned to move the hook elements 32 associated with the shaft 26 in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction. Likewise, upon rotation of the shaft 25 by means of a similar adjusting mechanism, the hook elements 32 associated with it may be adjusted in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction.

The lplate or plates to be secured to the surface of the cylinder may be of any conventional type. A typical plate 48, Vas shown in Figs. 11 and l2, is of arcuate cross-section adapted to extend .around about /4 of the circumference of the"`cylinder. This plate 48 may be provided with internal notches or recesses 49 and 58 at its opposite edges. These recesses may be produced by milling them with the milling cutters 5| and 52 which have a prole corresponding generally to the shape of the hook elements 35. Thus, when a plate 4,8 is placed on the surface of the cylinder, as shown in Fig. 2, for example, the shafts 25 and 26, or either of them may be rotated to back oft' the slide members 32, 32 to permit the hook elements 35 thereon to engage in the recesses 49 and' 58 at opposite ends of the plate. The shafts 25 and 26 are thereafter adjusted, respectively, in a counterclockwise and in a clockwise direction to engagethe hook elements 35 in the recesses 49 and 58. Inasmuch as the hook elements and the recesses are undercut, the plate 48 is retained rmly on the surface of the cylinder. Other similarly shaped plates may be assembled around the surface of the cylinder in close juxtaposition for the reason that the clamping hooks are enclosed completely within the periphery of the individual plates and thus, nothing is present to prevent the various plates from being in edge-to-edge engagement, if desired.

If it is found that the plates mounted on the cylinder are not in perfect register with the impression made by another cylinder, the several plates 48 may be adjusted circumferentially around the surface of the cylinder. Thus, for example, by loosening the slide members 32 controlled by the shaft 25 and turning the shaft 25 in a direction to move the slide members 32 driven by it in a clockwise direction, the entire plate 48 may be caused to shift in a clockwise direction around the surface of the cylinder.

As many of the hook elements as may be desired may be arranged along the edge of each of the plates so that the plate is held securely and rigidly to the surface of the printing cylinder.

It may be found desirable in some instances to provide for a further adjustment of the plates relative to the surface of the cylinder and to provide for locking a plurality of different plates on the surface of the cylinder. Such an arrangement is disclosed in Figs. 13 and 14 of the drawings.

Fig. 14 shows a developed surface of a cylinder embodying the invention having a plurality of plates arranged on it. It should be noted that the rows of plates at one end of the cylinder are staggered Awith respect to the plates at the opposite end of the cylinder. Thus, as shown in Fig. 14, the plates 58 and El are staggered with respect to the plates |52 and 83. The slide members for retaining the plates on the cylinder may be the same as those described above and are arranged in such a way that a pair of slide members 64 and 65 are disposed adjacent each edge of each plate 8|, 62, 63, for example. In order to accomplish this, it is necessary to have a plurality of adjusting shafts 66, 6l, E8, 69, etc. disposed around the periphery of the cylinder, and extending into the cylinder from opposite ends. Referring now to Fig. 13, a typical adjusting mechanism comprising one of the shafts 65, for example, may include a sleeve shaft 1l) which is journalled in the end plate 1I and is provided with a gear member '|2 for engagement with the slide member 64. The sleeve shaft is adjusted by means of a worm gear drive 'I4 of the type described above. This shaft 'l0 is used to adjust only the slide member 64.

A second shaft 15 is provided which also has 6 a gear member T6 on it for moving the slide member 65.V The shaft 'i6 has a reduced portion 1T which extends through the sleeve shaft 10 and is rotated by means of a worm gear drive 18 so:` that the slide member 65 can be adjusted independently of the slide member 54.

The shaft 6'! vis similar to the shaft |58 described above except it extends transversely across the cylinder from its right-hand end to control they hook members T3 and 8U which engage one end of the plate 6|. Likewise, one end of the plate 82 is secured to the cylinder by means of the slide members actuated by the dual shaft 38 while the plate 53 is positioned by means of the dual shaft 89. The other ends of the plates 88, 6|, 52, 63, etc. are locked by means of similar clamping elements disposed adjacent to their lower edges, as viewed in Fig. 14. The shafts for locking the plates are arranged in staggered relation around the cylinder so that space can be found to accommodate them, thereby producing the staggered relation of the rows of plates described above. Thus, by the above arrangement of shafts around the cylinder, it is possible to position the plates on the left-hand side of the cylinder in staggered relationship to the plates on the right-hand side of the cylinder while still providing sufcient room to accommodate all of the shafts necessary for securing smaller plates to the surface of the cylinder. Moreover, staggering the plates has the advantage of assuring continuous contact between the plate and impresssion cylinders, uninterrupted by gaps between the plates.

A marked advantage of the above-described construction is that the plates may be adjusted circumferentially around the cylinder and they may also be canted slightly with respect to the axis of the cylinder by individually adjusting the various slide members G4, 85, etc. In this way, not only can the plates be locked up accurately around the surface of the cylinder, but they may be rotated relatively to the cylinder in order to provide proper registry.

While the preferred form of the invention has been described above, it will be understood that the device is susceptible to considerable modification. Thus, for example, the structure of the hook members may be modified considerably. As shown in Figs. '7 and 8, the hook member 35 may be split longitudinally to divide it into two sections, and a micrometer adjusting mechanism 88 may be provided for accurately positioning the hook element El? with respect to the gear. The micrometer adjustment may include a screw thread member 88 which is rotatable in a semicylindrical recess 89 and engages a semi-cylindrical threaded portion S9 in the upper section of the hook member. Thus, by rotating the screw-threaded member 83, the upper section a may be adjusted longitudinally of the lower section 35D and then locked in position by means of a set screw 9|.

Still another type of hook member may be used like that disclosed in Fig. 9. This hook vmember is similar to the hook member 32 but has lugs 96 and 97 at the edges of the center hook. portion 98. The upper surfaces of the lugs .96 and Q1 may be cut away slightly to receive the spring arms 99 and |08 on a shim or wear member |0| (Fig. 10), these arms slipping over and gripping the lugs 96 and 91 to position a thin, flat shim plate |02 in front of the leading edge or undercut edge of the hook member 98.

Other features and details of the clamping mechanism may also be modified without departing from the invention. Therefore, the form of the invention described herein should be considered as illustrative and not as limiting the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A clamping mechanism for a printing plate having recesses in its back adjacent to its opposite ends, comprising a printing cylinder having at least one groove in its surface extending circumferentially thereof in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of said cylinder, `a, pair of elongated slide members in said groove, said slide members being movable circumferentially of said cylinder, a hook element on and extending outwardly from each slide member for engagement in a recess in said plate, gear teeth on the slide members, a pair of shafts rotatably mounted in said cylinder and extending parallel with its axis, a gear element on each Shaft engageable with the gear teeth on said slides, and means on said cylinder for rotating said shafts to move said slide members circumferentially of said cylinder.

2. A clamping mechanism for a printing plate having recesses in its back adjacent to its opposite ends, comprising a printing cylinder having a pair of spaced apart grooves in its surface extending circumferentially thereof in planes substantially perpendicular to the axis of said cylinder, a pair of elongated slide members in each groove, said slide members being movable circumferentially of said cylinder, a hook element on and extending outwardly from each slide member for engagement in a recess in said plate, gear teeth on the slide members, a pair of shafts rotatably mounted in said cylinder and extending parallel with its axis, gear elements on one of said shafts engaging the gear teeth on one slide in each groove, gear elements on the other shaft engaging the gear teeth on the other slide in each groove, and means on said cylinder for rotating said shafts to move said slide members circumferentially of said cylinder.

3. A clamping mechanism for a printing plate comprising a printing cylinder having a pair of spaced apart grooves in its surface extending circumferentially thereof in planes substantially perpendicular to the axis of said cylinder, an elongated slide member in each goove movable along said groove, a hook element on and extending outwardly from each slide member for engaging said plate, gear teeth on said slide members, a pair of concentric shafts rotatably mounted in said cylinder substantially parallel with its axis, a gear element on o-ne of said shafts engaging the gear teeth on one of said slide members, a gear element on the other shaft engaging the gear teeth on the other slide member, and means at at least one end of said cylinder for rotating said shafts selectively to move said slide members along said grooves.

4. A clamping mechanism for a printing plate comprising a. cylinder having a groove in its surface `extending circumferentially thereof 1n a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of said cylinder, an elongated slide in and movable along said groove, a hook element on and extending outwardly from said slide member, a gear segment on the inner surface of said slide, said gear segment being substantially concentric with the surface of said cylinder, a gear mounted in said cylinder for rotation about an axis substantially parallel with the axis of said cylinder, said gear meshing with said gear segment, and means accessible at the end of said cylinder for rotating said gear to move said slide along said groove.

5. A clamping mechanism for a printingplate having recesses in its back adjacent to its opposite ends, comprising a printing cylinder having at least one groove in its surface extending circumferentially thereof Vin a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of said cylinder, a pair of elongated slide members in said groove, said slide members being movable circumferentially of said cylinder, a hook element on and extending outwardly from each slide member for engagement in a recess in said plate, a pair of shafts rotatably mounted in said cylinder and extending parallel with its axis, a mechanical connection between each slider member and a shaft for moving each slider member along the groove upon rotation of the shaft connected thereto, and means on said cylinder for rotating said shafts to move said slide members circumferentially of said cylinder.

6. A mechanism for clamping to a cylinder a printing plate having recesses in its back adjacent to its opposite ends, comprising a cylinder, at least one circumferential groove in said cylinder in a. plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of said cylinder, a plurality of arcuate slide members mounted in said groove for extended movement circumferentially of said cylinder, hook elements on said slide members engageable in the recesses at opposite ends of said plate, a plurality of shafts rotatably mounted in and extending lengthwise of said cylinder, and motiontransmitting means connecting each shaft to one of the slide members to move the latter along the groove upon lrotation of its corresponding shaft, each shaft having means to rotate it at an end of the cylinder.

HARRY W. FAEBER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Da-te 865,581 Floyd Sept. 10, 1907 997,966 Cooper July 18, 1911 999,279 Warnoclr Aug. l, 1911 1,247,574 Pitt Nov. 20, 1917 2,047,357 Crafts July 14, 1936 2,047,364 Foster July 14, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENT NO. 6,261,59() B1 Page 1 of l DATED July 17, 2001 INVENTOR(S) Allen R. Place et al.

It is certified that error appears inthe above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent is hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 3 Line 7, bout should be about Column l1 Line 47, biomcal should be biomeal Column 12 Line 5, biomcal should be biomeal Column 13 Line 42, weights P should be weight, P

Column l5 Line 18, ClSz l9 from should be Cl8zlco9, from Signed and Sealed this Fifth Day of March, 2002 Arresr:

JAMES E. ROGAN Director of the United States Parent and Trademark Ojjce Attesring Officer 

